taia@marconisociety.org

February 15, 2021—The Marconi Society today opened nomination periods for its 2023 Marconi Prize and 2022 Paul Baran Young Scholar Award. These prestigious awards, which recognize established and emerging scientists in advanced communications technology from around the globe, showcase the leaders in the field and celebrate their contributions to building a digitally equitable world.

The Marconi Prize, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for Communications,” recognizes established Information and Communications Technology (ICT) luminaries whose contributions to the field have had a significant impact on widely used technology, and whose careers demonstrate significant leadership, entrepreneurship, and humanitarian impact. Nominations are accepted February 15–June 1, 2022, EST. The recipient will be announced in early 2023 and recognized at the Marconi Society’s 2023 symposium and gala.

Previous awardees include Siavash Alamouti, a visionary wireless leader and Executive Chairman of mimik,  Andrea Goldsmith, leader in the theory and practice of adaptive wireless communications and Dean of Engineering at Princeton University, Vint Cerf, one of the creators of the Internet and Chief Internet Evangelist at Google, and Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web and Professor at MIT. Alamouti will be celebrated at the organization’s 2022 symposium and gala, The Decade of Digital Inclusion. More details will be announced in the coming months.

The Young Scholar Award recognizes emerging scientists whose innovative scientific achievements, leadership and entrepreneurial characteristics, and dedication to improving society through their work stand out among their peers. 
Prospective Young Scholars must be 27 years or younger during the award year to be considered, and up to four candidates—usually graduate students or early career professionals—are awarded each year. Nominations are accepted February 15–June 1, 2022, EST. Recipients will be announced in early fall 2022 and recognized at the Marconi Society’s 2022 symposium and gala.

About the Marconi Prize

The Marconi Prize is the flagship award of the Marconi Society, given annually since 1975 to innovators who have made significant contributions to increasing digital inclusivity through the advancement of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). 

About the Paul Baran Young Scholar Award

Named for 1991 Marconi Fellow Paul Baran, the Young Scholar Award launched in 2008 and recognizes emerging leaders in advanced communications technology who demonstrate scientific excellence, leadership, entrepreneurship, and a socially engaged approach to their work. 

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

The post Honoring Transformative Leaders in Information and Communications Technology: Nominations Open for Marconi Prize, Paul Baran Young Scholar Award appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager

taia@marconisociety.org

February 9, 2022—The Marconi Society is proud to award the 2022 Marconi Prize, the top honor in communications technology, to Siavash Alamouti in recognition of his impact on the accessibility of wireless devices. The serial innovator, whose famous Alamouti Code can be found in billions of devices around the world, has devoted his career to developing wireless technology that improves people’s lives.

“Siavash has brought connectivity to billions of people by making wireless devices more efficient and affordable without reducing reception quality,” says Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society and 1998 Marconi Fellow. “Throughout his career, he has been a vital advocate for technology as a democratizing force in the world.”

Alamouti designed his eponymous Code in 1996, refining past efforts to improve mobile signal reception without significantly increasing device costs. His elegant solution, mathematically proven to optimize reception, adds transmitters to cell base stations or access points rather than adding them to each device. This code is now part of the foundation of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology, which is an essential component of contemporary wireless standards.

Throughout his career at major technology companies, including AT&T, Intel, and Vodafone, Alamouti remained passionate about open wireless standards and technology that prioritizes the end user’s needs and interests. His leadership on open wireless standards can be seen in current standards adopted by the IEEE that continue to govern Internet usage and protocols.

More recently, Alamouti has become an outspoken advocate for the decentralization of the cloud and data sovereignty. As co-founder, former CEO, and executive chairman of mimik, he has helped create and commercially deploy the industry’s first hybrid edge cloud platform that allows consumers to control how their data is stored, shared, and monetized. He worked for Wells Fargo bank as Executive Vice President of Research & Development, focusing on the development of a data custodian platform for consumers and enterprises, and recently left the bank to start his own company to accelerate this mission.

“We have made great strides towards digital inclusion globally by connecting people through the Internet, but we have a long way to go before we can claim success,” says Alamouti. “We need to create a sustainable business model to make Internet access affordable to every citizen of the world, but more importantly provide them control of their data, and create disruptive new business models that disincentivize the spread of misinformation, ignorance, and superstitions.

“This will bring people together, provide opportunities to close the growing wealth gap, and ensure a sustainable future for all. I’m incredibly honored to become a Marconi Fellow and work with an organization that has dedicated itself to digital inclusion. I could never have imagined that one day I would share this honor with other Marconi Fellows, world-renowned luminaries whom I have looked up to and admired throughout my career.”

Born in Iran, Alamouti began his undergraduate studies at the Sharif University of Technology in Tehran but left the country following the Islamic Cultural Revolution of 1979. The new government had expelled him from the University and labeled him an apostate due to his progressive secular views. Alamouti escaped to Spain and eventually became a political refugee in Canada in 1984, where he studied electrical engineering at the University of British Columbia during the early days of wireless technology. Now a citizen of Canada and the United States, he credits his challenging young adulthood with the philosophy that continues to shape his career: do the right thing, all the time.

“It’s an honor to celebrate Siavash’s astounding career with the 2022 Marconi Prize,” says Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, the organization’s Executive Director. “His integrity, vision for the role of technology in society, and leadership at the forefront of communications earn him a place among the founders of our connected world.”

About Siavash Alamouti

Siavash Alamouti’s foundational contribution to wireless technology is the Alamouti Code, which has inspired tens of thousands of researchers to expand on his findings. This breakthrough solution was adopted in 3GPP standards only two years after its invention and is included in all the wireless standards since 3G (LTE, LTE-Advanced, and 5G), and all WiFi standards since 802.11n (802.11ad, 802.11ay, etc.).

 Billions of devices in use today rely on the Alamouti code to ensure better quality of communication at lower cost and reduced energy usage. His innovation has improved communications for billions of people and millions of companies and enterprises without any detrimental effect on the carbon footprint. 

Leadership on Wireless Standards 

Alamouti was one of the key contributors to changes in spectrum policy in the U.S. and globally to open the doors for the use of MIMO technology, a major enabler for modern wireless systems. He was and continues to be a vocal advocate of open wireless standards, founding the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig Alliance) to bring together leaders from competing technology giants like Apple, Broadcom, Huawei, Intel, Microsoft, Samsung, and Sony. His leadership can be seen in the development of 5G and LTE standards, which ensure lower costs and better service by enabling interoperability and a robust market of suppliers.

 “Beyond the technology leadership and personal charisma, the great passion that drives Siavash is the benefit that technology can bring to people, especially in developing countries, and his desire to democratize broadband access anywhere,” writes Izik Kirshenbaum, founder and chairman of Siklu Inc. and former Intel colleague.

Decentralizing the Cloud

Throughout his career, Alamouti has championed technologies that have expanded the possibilities and benefits of technology on humankind. Since 2014, he has dedicated himself to cloud decentralization, a core requirement for an open Internet. At mimik, he led the development of the first hybrid edge cloud platform, which promises to help consumers and enterprises take control of their data while making the cloud more open and efficient.

 Alamouti’s interest in decentralization is two-fold: he wants consumers to be the stewards of their own data, and he wants to fix what he sees as a broken business model. He warns of the serious socioeconomic consequences of Internet-based companies prioritizing advertising over user interests. 

“Siavash’s invention of the first space-time code, his championing of an open standard for worldwide broadband access, and his work to decentralize the cloud have profoundly impacted the wireless networks and devices ubiquitous today,” says Andrea Goldsmith, Chair of the Marconi Prize Selection Advisory Committee. “As a role model to future generations of communication technologists, he is profoundly deserving of the Marconi Award.”

About the Marconi Prize

The Marconi Prize is the flagship award of the Marconi Society, given annually to innovators who have made significant contributions to increasing digital inclusivity through the advancement of information and communications technology. Marconi Prize recipients are recommended by an independent selection committee and approved by the Marconi Society Board, which is chaired by Vint Cerf and includes communications pioneers such as Federico Faggin, Sir David Payne and Andrea Goldsmith.

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

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taia@marconisociety.org

October 20, 2021—The Marconi Society today announced its 2021 Paul Baran Young Scholar, Dr. Shuowen Zhang, recognized for her work in intelligent reflecting surface-aided communications, MIMO, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communications. The Young Scholar Award recognizes emerging technologists whose innovative scientific achievements, leadership and entrepreneurial characteristics, and dedication to improving society through their work stand out among their peers. 

“Shuowen’s impressive technical research, which focuses on areas that are essential to the continued development and practical implementation of communications technology, and her passion for digital inclusion exemplify the spirit of the Young Scholar Award,” says Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Executive Director of the Marconi Society. “We are thrilled to welcome her to the Marconi Society.”

Zhang serves as a Research Assistant Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Her research focuses on applying advanced signal processing and optimization techniques to solve practical design problems within connected technologies. 

Zhang’s algorithm to address safety concerns of UAVs (commonly referred to as drones), published in IEEE Transactions on Communications, is expected to open new research avenues for UAV technology and its applications. Her research into intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS), a technology that can reconfigure wireless environments to improve the efficiency and breadth of signal coverage, may shape the future of connectivity by increasing access to reliable, affordable Internet services in hard-to-reach areas.

In addition to her technical contributions, Zhang is a mentor and thoughtful collaborator with her peers. During her PhD program, she mentored junior students on how to break down complex communications theory problems and prepare research for publication. As a Research Assistant Professor with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, she worked closely with students whose home Internet access made attending virtual classes during the pandemic very challenging. This experience, she says, solidified the importance of addressing the digital divide, even in cities that have high rates of connectivity. She currently serves as the mentorship co-chair for the IEEE’s N2Women, a networking group for women in communications technology.

The Marconi Society will celebrate Zhang, as well as 2020 Young Scholars Yasaman Ghasempour, Vikram Iyer, and Piotr Roztocki, and 2020 Marconi Fellow Andrea Goldsmith, during its annual Symposium and Gala on October 22. Tickets for this virtual event are available on the organization’s website.

About the Paul Baran Young Scholar Award

Named for 1991 Marconi Fellow Paul Baran, the Young Scholar Award launched in 2008 and recognizes emerging leaders in advanced communications technology who demonstrate scientific excellence, leadership, entrepreneurship, and a socially engaged approach to their work. 

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

The post Dr. Shuowen Zhang Recognized with Marconi Society 2021 Paul Baran Young Scholar Award appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager, the Marconi Society taia@marconisociety.org

October 15, 2021—The Marconi Society, a nonprofit dedicated to digital inclusion, today announced three new Board members and a major gift from Marconi Fellow and Qualcomm founder Irwin Jacobs and his wife Joan Jacobs. The new Board members, Francine Berman (University of Massachusetts, Amherst), Arogyaswami Paulraj (Stanford University), and Dennis Roberson (Roberson and Associates and Illinois Institute of Technology), bring decades of experience in technology and policy to the Marconi Society’s Board.

“With this generous gift from Irwin and Joan Jacobs and the deep expertise of our new Board members, the Marconi Society will be able to continue accelerating our work and our impact,” said Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society and 1998 Marconi Fellow. “We believe that connectivity is a basic human right and we aspire to the day when we have true digital inclusion.”

The Marconi Society was founded in 1974 by Gioia Braga Marconi to celebrate the legacy of innovation in communications technology left by her father, Guglielmo Marconi. In 2019, the organization revised its mission to focus on bringing the life-changing opportunities of connectivity to everyone in the world. Through programming like The Decade of Digital Inclusion, a virtual event series with a Symposium scheduled for October 22, the Marconi Society collaborates with changemakers from technology, policy, and digital inclusion in order to address the complex causes of digital inequity. 

“We are grateful to welcome our new Board members and for this significant contribution from Irwin and Joan Jacobs,” said Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Executive Director of the Marconi Society. “We believe an interdisciplinary approach is essential in the fight to address digital equity. As we continue to expand our community of leaders, we are invigorated by these important additions to our network and resources.”

Investing in Digital Inclusion

Irwin and Joan Jacobs, who are recognized globally for their philanthropic work, recently gave $500,000 to support the Marconi Society’s work to end the digital divide. 

“Joan and I are deeply committed to improving access to quality education,” says Jacobs. “In order to ensure the next generation is able to participate in the incredible opportunities offered by connected technology, we need to ensure they have access to tools, devices, education, and connectivity. The Marconi Society’s mission of digital inclusion is essential to our vision of a globally connected, educated society.”

Irwin Jacobs received the Marconi Prize in 2011 for his contributions to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) through his founding of two important companies—Linkabit and Qualcomm—and co-authorship of a seminal textbook on communications engineering.

The Jacobses have signed the Giving Pledge, an “international movement of philanthropists who commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy or charitable causes.” With their gift to the Marconi Society, they support programming like the Celestini Program (a mentorship program for underrepresented STEM students), broadband mapping efforts to provide accurate data on consumer connectivity, and the discussion of the decade, a first-ever survey of ICT and digital inclusion fields.

New Board Members

Chaired by Cerf, the Marconi Society’s Board oversees the organization’s mission and programming, working in close partnership with Schartman-Cycyk. Berman, Roberson, and Paulraj join a distinguished group of socially engaged technologists including John Cioffi (Stanford University), Zvi Galil (Georgia Institute of Technology), and others.

The new members bring valuable expertise and relationships within policy and digital inclusion to the Marconi Society. Berman, a professor of computer science at the University of Massachusetts, was appointed by President Obama to serve on the National Council on the Humanities in recognition of her leadership within data science and her perspectives on the socio-environmental impact of connected technologies. Paulraj, 2014 Marconi Fellow, is professor emeritus at Stanford University and is widely revered for his groundbreaking research in MIMO technology and its applications. Roberson, CEO of Roberson and Associates, is a nationally recognized expert in technology and also serves as Chairman of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) Technological Advisory Committee. 

“I’m delighted to join the Board of the Marconi Society,” says Berman. “Their mission to connect people via technology and promote digital inclusion is a strong complement to my own work as a Public Interest Technologist to promote the benefits and reduce the risks of digital technologies. I look forward to this opportunity to contribute.”

“I am very honored to join the Marconi Society Board,” says Paulraj. “It has been a privilege to be a part of the Marconi family as a Fellow since 2014, with so many distinguished colleagues and promising Young Scholars. The organization has launched new initiatives from digital inclusion to big ideas. It will be a pleasure to advance these important efforts.”

“I am greatly honored to have the opportunity to serve on the Board of the Marconi Society,” says Roberson. “This is an amazing organization composed of many of the most illustrious names in the modern communications world. Given the wisdom and experience of those affiliated with the organization, it has enormous potential to serve the world in narrowing the broadband digital divide. This in turn should improve the well-being of people around the world in incredible ways that in many cases are only dreams today.”

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

Board Member Biographies

Francine Berman

Dr. Francine Berman is the Director of Public Interest Technology and the Stuart Rice Research Professor in the College of Information and Computer Sciences at UMass Amherst. She is a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and was selected as the 2019-2020 Katherine Hampson Bessell Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University. 

Berman is a data scientist whose current work focuses on the social and environmental impacts of information technology, and in particular of the Internet of Things (IoT). Berman explores the overarching ecosystem needed to guide the development of information technologies that maximize benefits, minimize risks, and promote individual protections, the public interest, and planetary responsibility. Recent work has focused on data stewardship and preservation, particularly with respect to the policy, practice, and infrastructure needed to ensure the integrity, longevity, and usefulness of the data on which modern research relies. Berman’s interests are in the broad area of Public Interest Technology, and focus on strategies that promote technology as a tool to advance humanity.

Berman is a founder of the Research Data Alliance (RDA), a community-driven international organization whose mission is to build global infrastructure that enables data sharing and data-driven research.

Arogyaswami Paulraj

Professor Emeritus at Stanford University Arogyaswami J. Paulraj works in wireless technology. He served at Stanford from 1993 to 2010 where he supervised 50 doctoral and postdoctoral students. His group published over 400 research papers and are co-inventors on 80 U.S. patents. Paulraj is the pioneer of MIMO wireless communications, a technology now incorporated in all broadband wireless systems including 4G, 5G, and WiFi. His leadership in ICT won him the 2014 Marconi Prize.

In 1999, Paulraj founded Iospan Wireless Inc. where he developed MIMO-OFDMA based cellular networks. In 2004, he co-founded Beceem Communications Inc. The company became the market leader in 4G-WiMAX semiconductors. In 2014, he founded Rasa Networks to develop AI tools for managing large WiFi Networks. The three companies were acquired by Intel, Broadcom and HPE respectively.

During his 25 years in India (Indian Navy), prior to Stanford, he founded three national laboratories for the Indian Government (Center for AI and Robotics, Center for Advanced Computing, and Central Research Labs) and headed the development of a cutting-edge surface ship ASW sonar (APSOH).

Dennis Roberson

Roberson is President and CEO of Roberson and Associates, a wireless technology–focused consulting company, Chairman of Board of entigenlogic, an Artificial Intelligence based Natural Language Understanding product company, and the Caerus Institute, a patent development and support organization. He is also a Research Professor at Illinois Institute of Technology, where he was co-founder of IIT’s Wireless Network and Communications Research Center and co-founder of the Intellectual Property Management and Markets program. He currently serves on the Marconi Society’s Paul Baran Young Scholar Award Selection Advisory Committee.

His research focus has been on heterogeneous dynamic spectrum access networks; spectrum observation, measurement, and management; and wireless interference detection and mitigation. Previously he was Vice Provost for Research at Illinois Institute of Technology and before that Motorola’s EVP/CTO. He had an extensive corporate career including business and technology responsibilities at IBM, DEC (now part of HP), AT&T, and NCR. He has been and currently is involved with numerous technical, educational, and youth organizations including current board service on several technology-based companies. 

He has served as Chair of the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council for the past eight years and has served on the Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee (CSMAC) for the past 10 years. Roberson has BSEE and BS Physics degrees from Washington State University and an MSEE from Stanford.

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Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager, the Marconi Society taia@marconisociety.org

October 7 2021—The Marconi Society’s upcoming interdisciplinary symposium, The Decade of Digital Inclusion, takes place on October 22. This event brings together a dream team of over 40 leaders who offer unique contributions in technology, perspectives on governance, and expertise in grassroots digital equity. The Decade of Digital Inclusion aims to identify the most critical challenges in bringing everyone on the planet online and develop innovative, practical solutions.

“We have never been more aware of the importance of creating a digitally inclusive world,” said Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society and 1998 Marconi Fellow. “The Marconi Society’s mission is to extend the life-changing opportunities of the Internet to the roughly 3 billion people globally who are still unconnected. Through The Decade of Digital Inclusion, we have assembled the most creative and expert minds in their fields to achieve that goal.”

“Our vision for The Decade of Digital Inclusion is to establish new collaborations among the technology, policy, and advocacy fields,” said Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Executive Director of the Marconi Society and Co-chair of the event. “Each session presents a mix of perspectives that represent the different communities who are shaping and impacted by the future of connected technologies. This interdisciplinary approach is essential to addressing critical gaps in access and affordability.”

To attend the symposium and access past session recordings on demand, please reserve a press pass. Register for the symposium on the ticketing site and apply code PRESS-DODI-2021 for complimentary admission.

October 22 Symposium Schedule

Welcome and Keynote – 11–11:30 a.m. ET

Vint Cerf, Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Doren Bogdan-Martin

Breakouts – 11:35–12:30 p.m. ET

• Internet for All: What is the Role of Government?
• Going Local: Place-Based Digital Equity Ecosystems
• Building Inclusion into Digital Tech R&D

Breakouts – 12:35–1:30 p.m. ET

• In a World with Unlimited Spectrum
• Gap Networks: Connecting Communities When Traditional Business Models Fail
• Building Effective and Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence

Keynote: Giving All Americans a Fair Shot at Success – 2–2:25 p.m. ET

Jessica Rosenworcel, FCC

Discussions of the Decade – 2:30–4 p.m. ET

• Information and Communications Technology: Key Challenges for the Next Decade
• Digital Inclusion: Building a Cross-Disciplinary Approach

Keynote: The Future That Our Connected World Will Create – 4:05–4:30 p.m. ET

Andrea Goldsmith, Princeton University, Marconi Fellow

Sponsors

The Marconi Society is thrilled to partner with sponsors, whose support for The Decade of Digital Inclusion will help usher in the next decade of connectivity. The sponsors for The Decade of Digital Inclusion are: Ansys, Vint and Sigrid Cerf, Assia and John Cioffi, Cisco, Cleveland Foundation (CWRU, CSU), Cohere Technologies, Columbia University, Crown Castle, Ed Frank and Sarah Ratchye, Intel, ICANN, Internet Society, Medtronic, Nokia Bell Labs, Princeton University, Qualcomm, Rockwell Automation, The Samueli Foundation, Stanford University Electrical Engineering, Texas Instruments, University of Southampton, Viasat, and VMware.

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

The post MEDIA ADVISORY: Reserve a Press Pass for the Marconi Society’s Virtual Symposium, The Decade of Digital Inclusion appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Ash studied at Stanford University, where he secured a Fulbright fellowship. After graduation he worked at Standard Telecommunication Laboratories, then joined University College London as a professor. When he won the Marconi Prize in 1984, it was presented by His Eminence Sebastiano Cardinal Baggio, President of the Pontifical Commission for the City of the State of the Vatican. He was a Board member of the Marconi Society until 2008. 

“Our hearts go out to Sir Eric’s family and friends,” says Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Executive Director of the Marconi Society. “His generous leadership in education and his contributions to technology exemplify the qualities that define the Marconi Fellowship. We honor his life and work.” 

“Sir Eric was an extraordinary contributor to our technology community,” writes Vint Cerf, Chairman of the Marconi Society’s Board. “Another giant has left our midst.”

“I can speak to his incredible energy to learn and understand from those around him—whether it was history, architecture, nature, performing arts, travel, an endless list—he was always interested at the deepest of levels,” writes Camilla Fritze, Board member. “He always made sure young people had a voice and were considered. He believed in the next generations and always welcomed opinionated youth into his home, and was genuinely interested in their work and challenges and successes. He has left an incredible legacy.”

The post Remembering Sir Eric Ash, 1984 Marconi Fellow appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager, the Marconi Society taia@marconisociety.org

August 17, 2021—The Marconi Society today announced its annual symposium, master class, and gala, The Decade of Digital Inclusion; this event, rooted in the belief that Internet access is a basic human right, brings together a dream team of leaders who offer unique contributions in technology, perspectives on governance, and expertise in grassroots digital equity. The Decade of Digital Inclusion aims to identify the most critical challenges in bringing everyone on the planet online and develop innovative, practical solutions.

With unprecedented levels of network infrastructure spending, emerging technologies that can deliver new business models, and a new generation of digital natives ready to come online, an interdisciplinary approach to connectivity is critical.

“We have never been more aware of the importance of creating a digitally inclusive world,” said Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society and 1998 Marconi Fellow. “The Marconi Society’s mission is to extend the life-changing opportunities of the Internet to the roughly 3 billion people globally who are still unconnected. Through The Decade of Digital Inclusion, we have assembled the most creative and expert minds in their fields to achieve that goal.”

Available virtually and in person, The Decade of Digital Inclusion is open to attendees everywhere in the world. The event consists of a master class of virtual sessions from September–December and a virtual and in-person symposium and gala on October 22, 2021. 

An Agenda-Setting Event Series

“Our vision for The Decade of Digital Inclusion is to establish new collaborations among the technology, policy, and advocacy fields,” said Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Executive Director of the Marconi Society and Co-chair of the event. “Each session presents a mix of perspectives that represent the different communities who are shaping and impacted by the future of connected technologies. This interdisciplinary approach is essential to addressing critical gaps in access and affordability.”

The virtual master class offers a series  of pre- and post-symposium sessions this fall. From September 28–30, the 6G Summit on Connecting the Unconnected focuses on the technical possibilities, social impacts, and critical considerations in using 6G to provide connectivity to all. On October 7 and 8, Creating a Secure Network for Everyone examines the technology developments, policy initiatives, and grass-roots education efforts necessary to bring the next billion online safely. On  November 16–18, Where Network Intelligence Meets Public Policy  focuses on the need to improve methodologies for sourcing transparent, accurate, reliable, and scalable network analytics to inform the huge infrastructure investments and consumer subsidies that are becoming widely available.

On October 22, 2021, all attendees are invited to join a symposium and gala at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., or virtually. The symposium’s featured keynote speakers include Doreen Bogdan-Martin of the International Telecommunication Union, Andrea Goldsmith of Princeton University, Larry Irving, former head of the National Telecommunication and Information Association, and Jessica Rosenworcel of the Federal Communications Commission.

The symposium builds on the technology and policy discussions of the pre-symposium tracks to examine efforts in research, governance, business, and community organizing to improve access to connectivity. Featured sessions include Internet for All: What is the Role of Government?, Building Effective and Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence, Gap Networks: Connecting Communities When Traditional Business Models Fail, and Building Inclusion into Digital Tech R&D. 

The afternoon breakout sessions focus on surveying the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and digital inclusion fields to establish a roadmap for the upcoming decade. In Information and Communications Technology: Key Challenges for the Next Decade, moderators Vint Cerf and Ana García Armada lead a panel of experts in advanced computing, artificial intelligence, networking and wireless communications, optical networking, security and cybersecurity, and software development to discuss critical challenges for the next decade. In Digital Inclusion: Building a Cross-Disciplinary Approach, moderator Samantha Schartman-Cycyk leads a discussion among policymakers and community advocates about the methodologies, goals, and practices that will define the next ten years in digital inclusion work.

That evening, the Marconi Society will celebrate 2020 Marconi Fellow Andrea Goldsmith, whose groundbreaking contributions to wireless technology have cemented her as a visionary leader within ICT. Goldsmith’s technical innovations that have shaped the fundamental performance of cellular and WiFi networks, combined with her leadership to radically improve diversity and inclusion in engineering, have changed both the consumer experience and the profession. The Marconi Society will also award its newest Young Scholars, emerging leaders in ICT fields who demonstrate a dedication to digital inclusion through their research.

Details

Tickets for The Decade of Digital Inclusion are available now. Discounts apply for nonprofit, government, and university employees. Virtual student tickets are $25. 

In-person attendees must be able to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination and follow Washington, D.C, health and safety measures in place on October 22.

Sponsors

The Marconi Society is thrilled to partner with sponsors, whose support for The Decade of Digital Inclusion will help usher in the next decade of connectivity. The sponsors for The Decade of Digital Inclusion are: Ansys, Cisco, Cohere Technologies, Crown Castle, Internet Society, Medtronic, Nokia Bell Labs, Qualcomm, Princeton University, Samueli Foundation, Stanford University Electrical Engineering, Vint and Sigrid Cerf, Assia and John Cioffi, and Ed Frank and Sarah Ratchye.

The post Connecting the Next Billion: Marconi Society Announces Schedule, Speakers for Groundbreaking Event, The Decade of Digital Inclusion appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Contact: Caroline Tuhwezeine, Communications Officer, RENU communications@renu.ac.ug

Contact: Harriet Adong, Director of Communications, Learning & Knowledge, RANLab, hadong@ranlab.org

Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager, the Marconi Society taia@marconisociety.org

May 3, 2021—

The Marconi Society today announced that applications are open for the Celestini Program, a workforce development and STEM education initiative that pairs underrepresented students with training, mentorship, funding, and meaningful opportunities to use new technologies to make a difference in their local communities. 

This project is a partnership with the Research Education Network for Uganda (RENU), a cooperative research and education network of Ugandan institutions, ResilientAfrica Network (RANLab), a research and innovation partnership of 23 African universities that nurtures and scales innovations from its member organizations, and Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), a global leader in network technology and workforce development. 

“We envision a future where practitioners of communications technology are as diverse as the population they need to serve,” says Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, Executive Director of the Marconi Society. “Through this partnership, we bring together decades of experience in networks, mentorship, and workforce training to provide hands-on experience to students who will define the future of STEM.”

“Our vision is to create a national research and education environment in which Uganda’s researchers and scholars effectively contribute to knowledge creation, dissemination and application in solving society’s problems through local and international collaboration,” says Nicholas Mbonimpa, RENU’s Chief Executive Officer. “ This partnership provides a very good opportunity for students and researchers of our member institutions to acquire skills and develop their concepts and ideas into solutions for our community.”

“Our mission is to strengthen resilience in Africa through University-led local innovative solutions using evidenced-based approaches,” says Professor William Bazeyo, RAN Chief of Party/Lab Director. “This partnership is yet another opportunity for our students, innovators, and researchers to positively contribute to addressing diverse and complex challenges in the communities in which we live and serve. As we implement this project activities, we shall also largely leverage RAN’s innovation management expertise and experience to grow community members including ICT faculty and students’’, Prof. Bazeyo added.

The program consists of two tracks:

• The eduroam: Expanding Remote Access to Information track will provide job training and opportunities in network services management while vastly expanding student and faculty access to university resources on- and off-campus. 
• The LoRaWAN: Sensor Networks Solving Local Problems track offers students the chance to learn about and use the cutting-edge Long-Range Wide Area Network technology, exploring the solutions this network could offer to community problems. 

All student applicants must be enrolled at a RENU member university to be considered.

eduroam: Expanding Remote Access to Information 

Applications due May 28, 2021

This workforce development initiative is for undergraduate students entering their final year of university and provides the opportunity to gain skills in identity management and database administration, mentorship from global leaders in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), and post-program engagement managing their university’s rollout of eduroam.

By deploying and maintaining this technology across universities in Uganda, this project aims to develop a more robust infrastructure of interconnected higher education institutions by widening access to educational resources and communications. The program runs for eight weeks, after which students will be required to support the ICT team of their university during their final year to manage the ongoing administrative and technical responsibilities of the service, possibly leading to future jobs in these areas.

Students must be enrolled in and pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, or telecommunications engineering at the time of application.

Applications open May 1 and are due by the end of the day, May 28, EAT. The program runs for eight weeks, from Monday, June 21 through Friday, August 20 . Participating students must attend an on-site training in Kampala at the RENU Secretariat.

LoRaWAN: Sensor Networks Solving Local Problems

Applications due June 18, 2021

This initiative is for graduate (Master’s or PhD) student proposals to use a LoRaWAN (Long-Range Wide Area Network) environment to create technology proofs of concept that address local community needs, with guidance from mentors who are global leaders in ICT, technical and equipment support from NSRC, and funding up to $5,000 per project from the Marconi Society. 

NSRC will partner with the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Italy to provide technical support, training materials, and assist Ugandan faculty researchers and students with procuring sensors and LoRaWAN gateway equipment to enable sustainable deployments in the field.

The goal of this track is to allow students to get hands-on experience using new technology while partnering with the community and thinking creatively about user-focused applications. In order to ensure community input, each project should include collaboration with at least one community-based organization. 

Applications open May 1 and are due by the end of the day, June 18, EAT. The program runs through the 2021–2022 academic year, beginning August 1, 2021. It is designed to be compatible with a full course load. While student applicants are not required to be enrolled in technical programs, it is suggested that applicants outside of ICT-based fields enlist a collaborator with the skills to use LoRaWAN technology.

History of the Program

Celestini: Uganda is an extension of the Celestini Program, the Marconi Society’s experiential learning initiative developed by its Paul Baran Young Scholars. It aims to create a strong and diverse engineering profession by pairing students with resources to gain hands-on technical experience while pursuing projects that address community needs.

Past student-led projects include using sensing technology to monitor air quality in India, addressing water waste in Colombia using Internet of Things technology and machine learning, and increasing civic engagement in Rwanda through a mobile application.

The Celestini Program operates using a partnership model, wherein a local institution collaborates with leaders in the Marconi Society’s network to empower students to use new technologies to address local problems with guidance from leaders in ICT. 

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

About the Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC)

The Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) works directly with the indigenous network engineers and operators who develop and maintain the Internet infrastructure in their respective countries and regions by providing technical information, engineering assistance, training, donations of networking books, equipment and other resources.

About Research Education Network for Uganda (RENU)

Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU) is a nonprofit National Research and Education Network (NREN) that offers affordable services uniquely designed to enable collaboration among its member institutions and their global partners. The network is a cooperatively owned and community-driven service provider that helps to facilitate research and education networking among its member institutions.

About ResilientAfrica Network (RANLab)

The ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), funded by USAID, is a research and innovation partnership of 23 Universities across 16 African countries led by Makerere University. RAN strengthens and builds the resilience of African communities by identifying, nurturing and scaling cross disciplinary innovations to respond to community most pressing challenges.

Support

The Celestini Program is supported by the Thornton Tomasetti Foundation.

The post Growing Uganda’s Next Generation of Technology Leaders: Applications Open for Cutting-Edge Student Training Program appeared first on The Marconi Society.

Contact: Taia Pandolfi, Marketing & Communications Manager

taia@marconisociety.org

March 11, 2021—The Marconi Society today announced the committee for its upcoming symposium and gala, which celebrates 2020 Marconi Fellow Andrea Goldsmith and sets the agenda for the upcoming ten years of digital inclusion advocacy. The program committee includes leading technologists, policy advocates, and digital inclusion experts whose experience in the field and visionary leadership will shape this exceptional event.

“The Decade of Digital Inclusion will bring together a cross-section of leaders from critical disciplines  in a collaborative, generative program to discuss the major barriers to delivering the opportunities of connectivity to everyone on the planet and solutions for the next decade,” said Vint Cerf, Chair of the Marconi Society and 1998 Marconi Fellow. “We are honored to work with this distinguished program committee, which represents the communal effort required to connect the next billion people.”

The gala and symposium takes place on Friday, October 22, 2021, at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., and will include a significant online presence for those unable to travel. The program committee is co-chaired by Cerf and Samantha Schartman-Cycyk, the Marconi Society’s Executive Director. The committee will focus on creating an engaging, impactful event that draws on the strengths of the technology, policy, and advocacy communities and presents new opportunities for collaboration.

The Decade of Digital Inclusion Program Committee

Mohamed-Slim Alouini
Distinguished Professor, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

Mohamed-Slim Alouini is a Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at  King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). He is a Fellow of the IEEE and OSA and he is currently actively working on addressing the uneven global distribution, access to, and use of information and communication technologies in far-flung, low-density populations, low-income, and/or hard-to-reach areas.

Ana Garcia Armada
Professor, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Ana Garcia Armada is a professor of the Signal Theory and Communications Department at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, where she has served as Head of Signal Theory and Communications Department, Vice-dean of Electrical Engineering, and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of International Relations. She has received awards from University Carlos III of Madrid, third place Bell Labs Prize 2014 and outstanding service award from the IEEE ComSoc Signal Processing and Communications Electronics technical committee and the IEEE ComSoc Women in Communications Engineering standing committee.

Jane Coffin
Senior Vice President, Internet Growth, Internet Society

Jane Coffin is responsible for the Internet Society’s Internet Growth project teams, which are focused on Community Networks, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) & interconnection, peering, community development, and a new critical project on measuring the health of the Internet. Coffin is a longtime leader in Internet and telecommunications policy issues, with experience at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, USAID projects, FCC, and AT&T.

Elza Erkip
Institute Professor, NYU Tandon School

Elza Erkip is an Institute Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at New York University Tandon School of Engineering. Her research interests are in information theory, communication theory, and wireless communications. Dr. Erkip is a member of the Science Academy of Turkey and is a Fellow of the IEEE. She was a member of the Board of Governors of the IEEE Information Theory Society 2012–2020, where she was the President in 2018.

Edward Frank
CEO, Brilliant Lime; Vice Chair, Board of Trustees, Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Edward H. Frank is presently co-founder and CEO of Brilliant Lime, Inc., a very early-stage technology development startup. In 2018, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions to the development and commercialization of wireless systems. Frank has been a Trustee of Carnegie Mellon University since 2000 and is currently a Vice Chair of its Board of Trustees. He presently is an advisor to several Bay Area Venture capital firms and startups.

Chris Lewis
President and CEO, Public Knowledge

Chris Lewis is the President and CEO at Public Knowledge (PK), where he previously served as Vice President for Government Affairs. Before joining Public Knowledge, Lewis worked in the Federal Communications Commission Office of Legislative Affairs, including as its Deputy Director. He is a former U.S. Senate staffer and an experienced political organizer and advocate in both the nonprofit world and political campaigns from local to the presidential level.

Beth Noveck
Director, The Governance Lab; Chief Innovation Officer, The State of New Jersey; Professor, NYU Tandon School

Beth Simone Noveck directs the Governance Lab (The GovLab) at New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering where she is also a Professor in Technology, Culture, and Society and affiliated faculty at the Center for Urban Science and Progress. She is also a Fellow at NYU’s Institute for Public Knowledge. Noveck served in the White House as the first United States Deputy Chief Technology Officer and director of the White House Open Government Initiative under President Obama.

Milo Medin
Vice President of Access Services, Google

Milo Medin has been part of the Internet development community for more than 25 years. He is currently the vice president of access services at Google, where he oversees a number of projects to improve access to the Internet, primarily focused on expanding the speed, robustness and pervasiveness of wireless networks. Medin sits on the FCC’s Technical Advisory Committee and Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee. Since 2016, he has served on the Defense Innovation Board.

Angela Siefer
Executive Director, National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)

Angela Siefer has been working in digital inclusion since 1997. From physically setting up computer labs in underserved areas and managing local digital inclusion programs to consulting for the U.S. Department of Commerce and testifying before Congress, Siefer develops national strategies and solutions from the ground up. In 2015, she helped found the National Digital Inclusion Alliance,  a unified voice for home broadband access, public broadband access, personal devices and local technology training and support programs.

Theresa Swinehart
Senior Vice President, Global Domains and Strategy, ICANN

As Senior Vice President of Global Domains and Strategy at the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Swinehart oversees a global team responsible for a range of work relating to ICANN’s stakeholders and contracted parties, including policy implementation, review recommendations, and strategic initiatives. Swinehart also serves as co-deputy to ICANN’s President and CEO. She is a leading advocate for an open and secure Internet and an expert in global Internet governance and cooperation.

John Windhausen
Executive Director, Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB)

John Windhausen, Jr., is the founder and Executive Director of the Schools, Health, & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, a non-profit, public interest group based in Washington DC. SHLB has over 230 members and promotes open, affordable, high-quality broadband services for anchor institutions and their communities. Windhausen previously was President of a telecommunications trade association and from 1987 to 1996, he served as staff counsel for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee.

About the Marconi Society

The Marconi Society envisions a world in which everyone can create opportunity through the benefits of connectivity. The organization celebrates, inspires, and connects individuals building tomorrow’s technologies in service of a digitally inclusive world.

The post Marconi Society Announces Distinguished Program Committee for 2021 Symposium & Gala: The Decade of Digital Inclusion appeared first on The Marconi Society.

We believe Internet access is a basic human right. In order to connect the next billion people, leaders in policy, technology, and digital inclusion advocacy must collaborate to identify the most critical problems and develop innovative, practical solutions.

The Decade of Digital Inclusion brings these communities together in service of a digitally inclusive future. This timely conversation can only be hosted by the Marconi Society, a nonprofit that bridges the communities of advanced technology and digital inclusion.

In addition to the symposium, we will make history by recognizing and honoring one of the wireless industry’s leading stars, Andrea Goldsmith, as our newest Marconi Fellow.

Who Should Attend:

• Technologists from academic and corporate environments
• Digital inclusion stakeholders, including practitioners and advocates
• Policy makers from all levels of government and GovTech
• Philanthropists in the digital inclusion and technology for good spaces

BUY AN EARLY BIRD TICKET

October 22 Schedule

We are honored to welcome some of the world’s leading voices to present during the Decade of Digital Inclusion, including 2020 Marconi Fellow Andrea Goldsmith, Doreen Bogden of the International Communication. Union, and Internet Hall-of-Famer Larry Irving.

See the Event Schedule

Program Committee & Speakers

We have assembled some of the world’s leading voices on technology, public policy and advocacy for digital inclusion.  Meet the speakers that you will hear from and interact with during her symposium and master class on connecting the next billion.

See the Program Committee & Speakers

Sponsorship

In order to realize our vision of a connected future, the Decade of Digital Inclusion requires support. As a sponsor, your brand will be featured alongside exciting content from a dream team of leaders from the technology, policy, and digital inclusion practitioner communities. This is your opportunity to join industry leaders like Crown Castle, Medtronic, Qualcomm, and others and show your organization’s commitment to connecting the next billion by supporting this agenda-setting program.

Sponsorship Pamphlet

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